


His other love

by AniZH



Category: Boy Meets World, Girl Meets World
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-02
Updated: 2015-09-18
Packaged: 2018-04-18 17:37:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4714595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AniZH/pseuds/AniZH
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Topanga has always known that Cory also loves Shawn and that Shawn loves Cory. She finally is okay with it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story will start at pretty much the end of BMW, will have three chapters around that time and another two (now it's three) during GMW. It mostly follows Topanga, I guess. I will try to fit it into canon as good as I can.  
> Nothing will ever happen between all three of Topanga, Cory and Shawn but I still tagged them together as they... well. Read this chapter and possibly tell me afterwards if I should take the tag out.  
> I hope you will enjoy the read.

They had talked. They had talked about everything. About their friends, their families, the family they were; about college, their future; about money and chances.  
They still didn’t know if they should go to New York.  
They were both exhausted and agreed to stop talking about it. To sleep on it for a night. To think about something else after hours. To relax.  
She called her parents and didn’t tell them anything about it. She would tell them eventually, just not at this point. Cory and she needed to make the decision themselves, though she wasn’t kidding herself that Cory wasn’t going to run to the guys tomorrow to talk with them about it.  
But her parents didn’t need to give their opinion about it at this point, so she talked about something else, and when she hung up, she found Cory lying on their bed, staring at the ceiling, obviously deep in thought.  
She knew what he was thinking about, as she saw him. His mind had of course wandered to Shawn when he finally had stopped thinking about New York.  
Angela was gone, Shawn had been left again.  
Topanga loved Angela, she was her best friend, and she definitely understood why Angela was going with her father.  
But she also felt a little for Shawn – and knew that Cory did a lot so. He just wanted his best friend to be happy. Topanga wanted that as well. She loved Shawn, he was family after all. She just didn’t love him as much as Cory did.  
When she looked at him now, having problems with her, but being deeply in thought about the problems of his best friend, she understood. She had understood for a while now.  
I had been hard over the years. Sometimes, she had thought she finally understood or was okay with it. But again and again it had felt weird.  
She had thought everything was finally great when Cory had married her. When Cory had decided on her.  
She had of course known that Cory had loved her before that day. But she also always had known that he loved Shawn. And as Shawn loved him more than she did.... Why should Cory decide to be with her if it wasn’t for the fact that he loved her more than his best friend?  
But since the wedding she had come a long way. She thought of it as finally growing up, being a wife and all. She understood that Cory actually really loved Shawn and her. Possibly not in the exact same way but both just as much. And both in that kind of way. In that way you didn’t love you parents or your siblings or your just-friends.  
And Shawn...  
She believed that he loved Angela. Just not nearly as much as he had ever loved Cory. But of course he had gone for it. Of course he had totally engaged in the realtionship and he had tried as hard as he possibly could. Of course he now was heart broken. He had gone for it because he ran with everything Cory told him to – even if he always behaved like he didn’t want to at first.  
And Cory had told him to go for Angela because he couldn’t see that not everyone was able to love two people in the way he did. He had thought it was possibly for Shawn to fall for someone else as he had done for Topanga – and that they could live happily every after as two couples as it was supposed to be.  
But not everyone was able to live with that. Not everyone was able to love that way. Cory was. Cory was able to love Shawn and Topanga. Topanga had understood that for a while now. And she finally was okay with it.  
Slowly, she sat next to her husband who possibly took this harder than Shawn himself. Because he really had wanted this to work. He really wanted Shawn to be happy and to have everything he had.  
“Maybe it wasn’t true love,” she said softly, taking his hand in hers.  
“It was,” Cory said without looking at her.  
“Maybe she isn’t his me.”  
Now he looked at her and she saw that that broke his heart. He had wanted it so much.  
She slowly breathed in before she said: “He always loved you more than her.”  
He looked away again and shifted slightly.  
She had known for a while that this day would come. She had thought she would be more nervous. But she trusted Cory. She trusted their love. After all, Shawn had always been there and it hadn’t change anything about Cory and her. And Shawn had always encouraged Cory to go for her after he had realized that Cory truly loved her. It was time for her to be a little more like him, be a little more selfless. To let Cory live both his loves. To let Shawn be as happy as she was. She knew that she was finally okay with it, that she felt finally so secure in her relationship with Cory that she could allow him to love Shawn the way he wanted to.  
She hadn’t known that today would be the day but Shawn was alone now and he shouldn’t be.  
She stroked his hand with her thumb.  
“Go to him. He needs you,” she started saying and when he finally looked at her again: “Go to him and... let him forget about her.”  
“Topanga...”  
“I won’t wait for you to come home tonight,” she said, let go of him and stood up.  
He stood up as well and looked at her intently, before he finally smiled. “I love you, Topanga.”  
“I love you, too,” she answered before they shared a sweet kiss and he went out the door.

Shawn sat on his bed, a small book in his hand that Cory knew consisted of some of his poems.  
“Hey,” Cory said when he came in without knocking. “Jack and Eric let me in. They went out.”  
Shawn made a gesture that Cory could sit down and Cory did, right next to his best friend while he answered: “I know. They asked me to come with them.”  
A smile that wasn’t one and always made Cory little sick. He had just seen it too often in his life.  
“Didn’t feel like it?” he gently asked and Shawn shrugged: “What do you think?”  
“I am sorry, Shawnie.”  
Shawn’s expression softened though it hadn’t been hard before. “I know you are, Cor.”  
For a moment they just looked at each other, then Shawn shrugged again: “It’s the best for everyone.”  
Cory knew that he didn’t mean that. It possibly was the best for Angela but Cory was just angry at her for the moment. Because she had destroyed his master plan. But mainly, she had destroyed Shawn’s happiness – which was a big part in his master plan, right next to Topanga’s happiness.  
But possibly it really was the best for her. He didn’t believe it was the best for Shawn.  
But he thought about his talk with Topanga, just a few minutes ago.  
He lamely echoed her: “Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be.”  
Shawn smiled another false smile, this one filled with hurt and ache. “Maybe, noone can love me enough to stay.”  
And that just wasn’t true.  
“I stayed and I always will,” Cory said firmly. A heartbeat, then: “I love you, Shawn.”  
Now, it was a real smile in Shawn’s face. But Cory saw in his eyes that he didn’t understand. That he knew how much Cory loved him but he didn’t know that he loved him in that way.  
And Cory had thought about it on the way over. He had never really thought about it before. Because he never thought it would be possible. But Topanga had sent him here. Topanga was okay with it. He could keep her, his wonderful wife, and still could have his best friend, all of him.  
He had never really appreciated that Shawn wanted that as well or that Shawn didn’t know how much he, Cory, actually wanted it.  
He had understood it on the way over here. It was finally time to act on their feelings.  
In the next moment, he had cupped Shawn’s face with his hands and slowly put his lips on his. It took no time at all for Shawn to kiss him back, passionately and roughly.  
They fit together like it was meant to be. And it was so much better than their first kiss which had happened in the dark closet in Cory’s childhood room when Shawn had wanted to show him how easy Seven Minutes in Heaven was. It was even better than their second kiss when Cory had asked Shawn for advice to up his game and Shawn had said that learning by doing was the best way, roughly two years after their first kiss.  
Cory had dreamed about both those kisses – he nearly forgot all about them now, though Shawn still tasted the same.  
But suddenly, Shawn pushed him away.  
“What about Topanga?” he asked before Cory could get disappointed or get it in his head that possibly Shawn didn’t want this at all.  
“She is okay with it,” Cory answered and for a moment, he was worried that Shawn didn’t want to go further when he still was with her. That Topanga was fine with him going off with Shawn even if they were married and together and loved each other, but Shawn wouldn’t have any of it.  
But Shawn didn’t seem put off, just worried himself. “She said that?”  
“Not directly,” Cory admitted.  
They looked at each other intently and Cory thought about her words and how he had never spoken womanese very well while Shawn over time had gotten pretty fluent in it. Maybe he had misunderstood. But... This was Topanga. It wasn’t just any woman. It was Topanga who he had known all his life.  
“But she meant it, Shawn.”  
“Are you sure?”  
“I am sure”, Cory said confidently and when Shawn nodded, he wanted to kiss him again but shortly before their lips touched, Shawn hold him off again.  
“Are you sure you want to do this?”  
They just looked at each other for another moment and Cory knew that he didn’t want anything more in his life at this point. And he knew that Shawn wanted it just as much and just didn’t want Cory to make a mistake he would regret.  
Cory’s answer was another kiss, as passionately as he was able to, while he slowly pushed Shawn down on his bed.


	2. Chapter 2

When she next saw Cory, nothing was different and somehow everything was. It really didn’t change anything about them or their love. Cory’s behaviour didn’t change. Shawn’s behaviour with both of them didn’t change. But Shawn seemed happier, Cory a lot more confident and happy and Topanga was happier for it as well.  
It didn’t change anything about New York. Cory didn’t suddenly bring Shawn up more than the afternoon they had first talked about it. He just reminded both of them from time to time that they had friends here, friends like Shawn – she did as well.  
But in the end they decided to go. When they told Shawn, he was obviously happy for the both of them. Happy that they had made a decision and that they were about to embark on a new adventure. Even if it was without him.  
She almost admired him. He now even had slept with Cory, he had to know that Topanga was okay with Cory’s love for him just like he was with Cory’s love for her but he still let them go. Instead of pushing Cory to stay which she was sure he would be able to do, he encouraged Cory again to go for it, to make himself happy – even if that meant they wouldn’t be as close together anymore as they were before.  
Of course, New York was still close enough which was why Topanga and Cory even dared to make the move but anyway...  
And she knew this would be another moment where she had to be as selfless. When she thought about it, she actually even couldn’t imagine not seeing Shawn every day. After all, he was her best friend as well by now. She was so used to having him around that she would miss him as hell as well. So why shouldn’t he come with them, so that all three of them could be happy?  
She kept it from both of them and when they let their feelings out in that way that seemed so unusual for guys their age at this point of time, she of course said again that she wanted a divorce. She was used to claiming that by now whenever they acted this way. She was used to make jokes like that. She obviously hadn’t meant it for some time now.  
And when they both were in tears, it was obviously time to tell them that Shawn would come with them. She didn’t know why none of them had thought about it but sometimes they just weren’t able to see the whole picture.  
When they hugged as happy as they could be, she of course had to smile.

Shawn and Eric had their own place, not far away from Topanga and Cory, just outside the city. Topanga and Cory had both said that they could all live together at first as possibly it was difficult to find two payable apartments immediately but somehow it had worked out great.  
They had still keys for each other’s apartments. The rule was that they could all come in whenever. Topanga didn’t know about Eric but she trusted Shawn to not come in when Cory and she were enjoying time alone. He usually knew when that was, did he know Cory so well after all.  
Eric was actually good about that, too. And quickly he took a small job, though he still searched for the right one for him.  
The others all applied to NYU and Shawn took a job in a photographic studio to pay for his own expenses – he wanted to keep it even after summer.  
Topanga was busy with her internship and had just gotten home today when Shawn came in.  
“Hey, Shawn,” she said smiling before he even closed the door behind him.  
“Hey, Topanga,” he answered and went to her, gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before he sat down next to her at the small kitchen table where she just wanted to go through the mail.  
“Can I get you something to drink?” she asked.  
He accepted, so she stood up and made them both a drink while she asked: “How are you?”  
They hadn’t really seen each other for the last few days as they were both pretty busy. Cory on the other hand had just been at Shawn’s yesterday and she knew that after three weeks they had finally had sex again, although Cory hadn’t told her directly at any point. It felt weird knowing it and now being here with Shawn – but it kind of was like it was always supposed to be. Nothing about this was actually weird. It didn’t change anything.  
“Great,” Shawn said. “How is your internship going?”  
And she loved talking about it because she loved her internship. She loved it even more that Shawn was looking genuinely interested. Of course, she launched into a long story. Shawn listened as usual and it was the moment he looked in the direction of the front door after several minutes that she said: “Oh, yeah. Cory is at a job interview.”  
Cory wanted to work over the summer as well but still hadn’t had any success. But they just had been in New York for three weeks. She was more surprised that Shawn had adjusted so quickly than about Cory not having found a job so quickly. Or... no. She wasn’t surprised that Shawn had adjusted so quickly to the new circumstances. He was a survivalist. He had street smarts, charm and lots and lots of useful talents.  
“I know,” Shawn said. “He told me yesterday. I came to talk to you.”  
If she wouldn’t have known him that well, she possibly wouldn’t have noticed how he tensed up. He was so good at looking relaxed and confident.  
“What about?” she asked although she knew already. Him looking at the door as if checking that Cory still wasn’t coming through it, because he absolutely wanted to be alone with Topanga for this, him coming specifically when Cory wasn’t home, him tensing up when he finally started talking about what he was here for...  
He looked at her and of course he knew that Topanga knew. Almost a smile, but in the end he was too tense.  
“About Cory. About what happened. After Angela. And yesterday.”  
He wasn’t able to look at her anymore and instead looked down at his hand which hold the glass.  
Topanga nodded. “Let’s talk about it.”  
“You know what happened, right?”  
“I know. And I am okay with it, Shawn.”  
He looked up again and she reached out for one of his hands. He took it.  
“How can you be? You love him.”  
And Topanga actually had to smile at this. “You do, too. And you are okay with me and him, aren’t you?”  
“I think that’s a little different,” Shawn said and Topanga contemplated it for a moment, then: “I think I came to realize it’s not. I mean... Obviously, Cory loves both of us.”  
Shawn brushed it off. “I don’t want to be a home wrecker, Topanga. I don’t need to be with Cory in that way. He doesn’t need to be with me. I appreciate that you would allow him to but... I don’t want anything to be awkward.”  
“It doesn’t have to be,” she said quickly. “I didn’t tell Cory to go to you on a quick idea. I mean... I understood what’s going on between you two for a long time now. It just took me some years to get to the point you are at. As long as you are okay with me being his wife that he loves... I am okay with you being his best friend that he loves just as much.”  
For a minute or so they just looked at each other, before Shawn slowly said: “We still don’t need to be together in that way. I don’t want to loose one of you because of this.”  
“You won’t,” Topanga firmly said. “I don’t want to loose you as well. And Cory has never wanted and will never want to loose any one of use. But tell me you didn’t enjoy yesterday?”  
Of course he had enjoyed it. Of course he loved it. Cory was the love of his life. How couldn’t he enoy his touch?  
Finally, Shawn smiled and he didn’t answer the question but with unbelieveable sincerity in his voice he said: “I love you very much, Topanga.”  
“I love you, too,” she said, squeezed his hand and he gave her another kiss on the cheek before Topanga abruptly changed the subject, feeling everything had been talked about: “How is your job?”  
Now truly relaxed, Shawn started talking and soon enough they laughed together whole heartedly.  
When Cory came home and saw the two people he loved most in this world like this, he smiled bigger than he had in a long time.  
He sat down, right between them where he had always belonged, and told them everything about his new summer job.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With this chapter, this fic is already halfway done. I thought I would have five chapters but it will be six now. So, there are three to follow and they will take place during GMW - with the last chapter being possibly more about Riley and Maya in some ways. But you will see.  
> Still hoping you like this little fic. Enjoy reading in any case. :)

She now had a little job at the law firm. She helped out, made copies, brought coffee. But from time to time a lawyer or a paralegal took her aside and showed her a case, talked to her about it and explained what there were going to do.  
She loved it but it meant a lot of work next to the college courses she still needed to take. She was stressed out a lot but it also made her immensely happy.  
Cory finally adjusted to New York as well. He worked on weekends and put much hard work into his college courses. He actually started thinking about being a teacher. Topanga didn’t know why she never saw it before. She knew Cory could and would be an awesome teacher.  
Shawn still took a few courses himself but through his job at the photographic studio he had gotten into contact with a magazine and had started working there. He made photos for their articles and loved it much more than college. Cory and Topanga told him all the time that he still should get his degree after all the hard work he had put into it already. In the end, he always agreed.  
And then there was the thing between the three of them. From time to time, Topanga was confused at how easy it actually was. It really was as if it was meant to be.  
She didn’t exactly knew when they did it but she knew they did it without having to talk with them about it. She knew that they mostly did it at Shawn and Eric’s and never ever in Cory’s and her bed.  
It didn’t change anything about her and Cory’s sex life. And it didn’t change anything about how they behaved in front of her. They always had been close. It had driven her nuts for some years after all. But by now she was so used to it and it just was how it was.  
They never kissed in front of her and somehow she was glad they didn’t although she of course kissed Cory whenever she felt like it even if Shawn sat next to them.  
She didn’t know for a long time if Eric knew about it. She was sure that Cory and Shawn never did anything in front of him – at least nothing that they hadn’t already down for the last few years and that proved their love for each other as much as a kiss could.  
Then one day, Eric was over and Cory went out to get to on of his lectures. Eric only stayed a few minutes longer because Topanga wanted to give him the left overs of their lunch. Cory would eat at college later and Topanga at the office, while Eric would be home alone, so that idea had come up while Cory, Eric and Topanga had talked.  
Eric was nearly about to leave, with the left overs in his hand, when he turned to look at Topanga again. “So... You are really okay with it, aren’t you?“  
“What?“ Topanga asked, confused about what Eric was talking about. He couldn’t mean giving him the left overs, could he?  
“You are okay with Shawn and Cory?“ Eric specified.  
Topanga furled her eyebrows. “How do you know? Did you see them?“ She couldn’t imagine them telling him about it.  
But Eric just shrugged and she realized that this was one of those Eric things. He hadn’t actually seen them doing anything but he knew anyway. Who knew how long he had known that those two were as much in love as Cory and Topanga were.  
“I am absolutely fine with it,” she therefore said without needing a definite answer from him.  
He watched her closely for a few seconds and then he smiled. He took a few steps back to her, gave her a light and unusual kiss on the cheek. “I am very happy that you are my sister-in-law. Thank you for being such a good wife for him.”  
She was unbelievably touched, knew how totally honest Eric was in this moment, how he really meant it.  
“Thank you, Eric,” she said.  
He nodded, smiled another time, before he went to the door again, waved a goodbye and said: “Later, Pangers.”  
She had to laugh while the door snapped shut behind him.

So, everything was really well and whenever she had time to think about the situation she was just amazed at how easy it all was.  
But she still didn’t know if she could stand actually seeing Cory and Shawn together in that way. Even if she was okay with knowing about it.  
Then, the day came when she saw.  
She had had a long day, had been at two college courses and then to the office. She was exhausted when she came through the door.  
And there were Cory and Shawn on the couch, making out hardly, barely sitting up. It was as if Shawn was about to push Cory down but they both obviously heard the door and broke apart.  
Shawn looked around, saw Topanga and in the next moment he was on his feet and a few small steps away from the couch.  
“Topanga,” he said and seemed shocked that she had walked in on them. That she had to see it. As if now, everything would change. As if Topanga would realize that she couldn’t stand this, now that she had seen it.  
But strangely and surprisingly it didn’t hurt at all. Topanga had thought it would if she ever would see it. But it didn’t. She remembered how just the thought of Lauren had hurt. How just knowing that she and Cory had kissed had hurt. If she thought about it now she still kind of wanted to rip that girl apart.  
She didn’t hurt now. It hadn’t hurt to see Cory with Shawn, even in this way. It wasn’t like it was her new favorite thing. She didn’t want to see it all the time. But she realized that she didn’t have a problem with walking in on it as an accident. She truly was okay with this.  
She looked into Shawn’s eyes, saw how afraid he was, which he absolutely didn’t need do be, and she smiled slightly.  
She looked further, to Cory, who still sat on the couch but seemed also unsure. Not afraid like Shawn but definitely unsure.  
She went to him and kissed him shotly on his lips as she usually did when she or he came home, before she put her bag down. She thought she tasted Shawn on her husband’s lips. It didn’t make her sick.  
“Have you guys already eaten? I am starving,” she finally said.  
She wouldn’t back out of her own apartment. If they wanted time alone, they could very well go to Shawn’s. But she was exhausted and wanted to be home right now.  
Finally, Cory also stood up. “I am hungry as well. Should we go out?”  
“Can we order something?” she asked and he gave Shawn a fleeting look, before he nodded and took out the flyers of different order services they kept in one of the kitchen cupboards.  
Both of them sat down at the kitchen table and Cory started talking about what they had eaten the last few days and what they should eat today.  
Topanga looked up and smiled again at Shawn who still stood where he had pulled away to when Topanga had come in.  
Shawn finally smiled back and went to them, sat down with them like he had done so many times before.  
They ordered in, ate together that evening and talked the whole night while watching TV – like they always did when they had the time.

Shawn was the only one who knew that they were trying to get pregnant and was the first one to know after Cory and herself, when Topanga finally was.  
He was unbelievingly happy for them and helped them every step on the way. Whenever they asked him on a opinion, was it on the color for the room of the child or the first toy, he always was there.  
She knew anyway that it was hard for him. He finally had Cory in his life like he always wanted him to, he was finally close to him in the same way Topanga was. Of course, Topanga was still Cory’s wife and Shawn officially just his best friend but Shawn seemed to be more than fine with that. Actually, he himself still dated girls next to Cory which seemed to be okay for him and for Cory though Topanga couldn’t understand. She wouldn’t be okay with Cory just dating around while they were together – on the other hand, she was okay with Shawn and Shawn with her, so...  
Anyway... Now that Shawn finally was so close to Cory, Topanga had gotten pregnant. And with that, Cory and Topanga suddenly had a much closer bond. They weren’t just married now but truly and forever bound together through their child.  
She knew, while she accepted Shawn in Cory’s life, she would feel terrible if somehow the both of them could get pregnant and would be a whole family, without her.  
And while Shawn obviously was truly happy for them, she had no doubt that he also felt as terrible about it as she would if it would be the other way around.  
He was at the hospital while she was in labor and when he hold the little girl that Cory and she wanted to name Riley, he even teared up. She knew it was out of pure happiness as he looked at the little wonder in his arms.  
He still left New York the very same day.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back, with a chapter taking place several years after the last one. We now go over into GMW and for this, it is a little harder to stay canon (as other stuff has happened in my story than in the actual canon). But I believe it's working. Just one little change I definitely made (and which will come up in the next chapter): In the Home for Holidays episode Cory doesn't aks why Shawn left the city. I am almost certain, everything else could have still happened the way it has until now (2x15).  
> Now enjoy.

Life was good.  
Riley and Auggie did great, Cory and Topanga had both jobs they loved and now they were even planning a third child. Also, Shawn finally was around again much more than he had been since Riley’s birth. He and Maya’s mum were a couple now and together with Maya they actually looked like a litte family.  
This evening, Cory was at a parents-teacher-conference, Katy was there as well while the girls were still out with their friends and Auggie was at Ava’s. Cory would pick him up on his way home.  
Shawn who was in town for a few weeks (with just short assignments in different parts of the state) was over and he and Topanga were talking.  
Shawn had just taken Katy and Maya with him on a trip. Katy had insisted on paying at least part of it.  
After Topanga had brought him up to date on everything new in her life, he told her about the trip and he mentioned how happy they both had been when he had taken them up to this beautiful spot he had found during one of his assignments.  
She had to smile. It almost seemed like Shawn believed they had just been happy about that spot, about nature, that it had nothing to do with him being there and him showing it to them.  
“They really love you, you know.”  
Shawn smiled as well, in such a good way. “I really love them. Maya is such an amazing kid.”  
“She is,” Topanga nodded. “What about Katy?”  
She had never heard his take on Katy. It was obvious that he liked her, possibly even loved her. She knew that Katy was crazy about him.  
And sometimes, she wondered what that meant for Shawn and Cory but she guessed it didn’t changed anything. And she knew, without ever talking to one of them about it, that they hadn’t had sex with each other since Riley’s birth. She didn’t know why. Of course Shawn hadn’t been around much but when he had been they very well could have used that time.  
But it worked for them. Cory seemed still unbelievably happy with his life, especially now that Shawn was around more again. And Shawn seemed to have finally found his place as well.  
“She is a really strong woman. I enjoy being with her,” Shawn said after a while and took another sip of his drink.  
Topanga looked at him and thought of Katy, before she asked: “You do love her, right?”  
Shawn looked back and for a minute or so they just looked at each other. Then Shawn smiled again. “I do. I really do.”  
She had to smile again as well. She knew that he meant it and that was all she needed. For Katy who deserved someone good in her life. Shawn was one of the best persons she knew and she was glad if they were... it for each other.  
“Anyway,” she said finally. “It’s great to have you around so much.”  
She had just wanted to tell him how much she loved him and loved having him around with those words, but the moment they were out of her mouth she realized that they would be hard for Shawn to hear. After all, he had left because of Topanga. In one way or another.  
Therefore, she quickly added: “Shawn. I am sorry that you felt like leaving back then.” Because Cory still loved them just the same. Because Shawn had never deserved to be alone or to feel left out which he probably had. And she had never said anything about it. His visits had always been so short and she had never wanted to put a damper on their time together when he finally had been there.  
She had almost said something a few months back when Riley had spoken up about her and Shawn’s relationship. She herself had felt hurt that Riley had ever thought Shawn would hate her. Obviously, he loved her very much. But of course... He never had been around that much and he had never actually spent time with the kids. She had always been fine with that becaue she had known why: Because it would hurt Shawn to spend time with the reason, Topanga and Cory’s bond was seemingly stronger than his and Cory’s.  
Shawn shook his head. “Nonsense. It isn’t like it was your fault. It was the best decision for Riley.”  
Topanga was about to nod when she realized what he had said. What? “For Riley?”  
“Yeah,” Shawn said and looked at her as if he didn’t know why she seemed confused.  
Slowly, she said: “I thought you left because...”  
But she didn’t know how to put it into words and stopped.  
After a few moments of looking at each other, Shawn understood anyway and his face showed great surprise.  
“I always knew that he loved you, Topanga,” he finally said with a tone of amusement in his voice but he got more serious as he went on. “And the reason I flipped out at your wedding was because I knew that would mean you would have a family together. Well... I didn’t consciously know but... somewhere inside me I knew and I just went crazy. It was never a problem for me after that. Just with me and Cory... having sex...” He used the words carefully but when he saw that Topanga didn’t draw back but was still fully interested in what he had to say, he went on, more at ease. “Riley deserved to grow up in a whole and functioning family. I mean... She has an awesome mother like you and a great father like Cory. Now with Riley and Auggie, you truly are the perfect family und you deserve to be exactly that. I would have disrupted everything. I am never able to say no to Cory, that’s why I had to leave. Because that was the only way I could ensure that nothing like that would happen again after we had started it. And now, we are over it and I am glad of that. I never wanted to be a home wrecker, especially for your kids.”  
Topanga didn’t know what to say.  
There were several things that stood out to her. The most important thing was how unbelievingly much Shawn loved not only Cory but her and their kids as well and how much he appreciated the conservative concept of a family – he probably appreciated it as much because of how he had been brought up himself and how the Matthews always kind of had been the perfect family for him.  
Also, it stood out to her that he believed that Cory and he himself were over each other. Sure, they obviously didn’t jump into bed together any more, but they still loved and adored each other like crazy. And Topanga was sure that Cory still would like to go further with his best friend. She couldn’t imagine Shawn not wanting that deep down inside.  
And the third thing that stood out most to her was her own ignorance. How could she have missed Shawn’s real intentions when he had gone away? Why had she never asked? Why had she never seen? Of course he was concerned of being a home wrecker. He had actually told her that before, way back when there hadn’t been kids involved, the one and only time until now that the two of them had ever talked about it. Of course, having kids had added a full new dimension to this concern of Shawn’s.  
But how could he push himself away because of that?  
“What are you talking about?” she forcefully asked. “It’s not like Cory cheated on me. I knew about it. I mean... Life is crazy but the most important thing for kids is for their parents to love them. And we always did. You wouldn’t have changed anything about that. The situation was clear between all of us and the children would have understood over time – they would have grown up with it as a natural part of their lives.”  
The way the situation had been they probably wouldn’t have noticed until they would have been at least teenagers. Children were sensitive but that was mostly about unhappiness of their parents, about secrets and things like that. And there wouldn’t have been a secret. None of them would have had to lie to the children.  
Of course, if coincidentally they would have found out as young children, she wouldn’t necessarily have wanted them to tell in kindergarten or school or anywhere because it still was their private life and not everyone would have needed to know. Except the three of them, back then, only Eric had definitely known. But even if more people had found out, even if the children then would have had told... It never had been a dirty little secret, it had never been cheating, it had never been anything.  
Shawn distracted her from her thoughts, in a soft tone. “We both grew up in a broken home.”  
They had. And that’s why she knew that lying was the bad thing. That secrets were bad. Her childhood had been great until somehow, something in her parents had shifted. She was never able to put her finger on it but she had hated all their quiet fighting, the dirty looks thrown to each other whenever they had thought she wasn’t looking, the... hate that had just been there without her realizing what exactly it was. Until they had gotten divorced and everything had been clear. She was sure it would have been easier on her if they would have just gotten divorced earlier.  
But: “This home would never have been broken. I mean... I am pretty sure the kids know anyway that Cory loves you. It doesn’t matter if you sleep together or not.”  
Shawn gave her a long look before he said: “I think it’s better this way. Let’s just keep it as it is.”  
He tried a smile and she returned it slowly. “Okay.”  
If he wanted it this way, if he thought it was right... It was fine with her.  
The girls came in the very next moment and distracted them anyway.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello. :)  
> This chapter could be read as the last one. The next chapter (and the real last one) is way more about Maya and Riley (and them possibly being in love). If people don't want to read that, they can very well stop with this one.  
> Enjoy.

While Shawn seemed to have made his peace with the situation, while he obviously enjoyed his new life, with Maya and Katy as well, there were still other people involved.  
Cory seemed fine with everything as well. He just loved having Shawn around as much as possible. It didn’t seem to hurt him at all that Shawn was now together with Katy and it obviously being pretty serious – though of course he also had encouraged it very much just like he had with Angela back in time.  
Topanga was still confused as to how Cory and Shawn could just do that, how they could accept a different love in each other’s lives. Especially, because she was sure that while Cory was fine with Shawn dating around or now building up a family of his own, he wouldn’t be as fine with Topanga dating other people.  
But Topanga also just accepted Shawn in Cory’s life, while Shawn had, back in time, always been okay with Cory dating around as well. That was apparently one of the differences between Cory’s two relationships.  
But another person that now was deeply involved was Katy.  
It was one night when she and Topanga closed up the bakery, talking about Shawn, Cory and Topanga’s childhood. Topanga didn’t know how they had gotten there but somehow she was now telling the story of how Cory and she had gotten together for the first time in their teenage years.  
“Of course everything worked out as Shawn had predicted. Cory finally told me that he liked me and asked me to be his girlfriend,” she finished the story.  
Katy had listen to her with a smile while she had cleaned up the tables. “That’s amazing. You and Cory really go back a long time, huh? And that Shawn pretended to ask you out though that made Cory angry with him, just so he would finally talk to you...”  
“He is a great guy,” Topanga said.  
Katy nodded and for a minute they continued cleaning in silence, then: “He loves him, doesn’t he?”  
Topanga looked over to her. Katy wasn’t looking back. Instead she aparrently concentrated on her task.  
But Topanga finally knew her well enough to understand her. It had been difficult over the years from time to time. With Maya being alone and hurt most of the time they had known her, it hadn’t always been easy to see Katy as the woman she actually was. To understand her. To realize that she was a very hard-working and devoting mother.  
Topanga and Cory had always defended her in front of Maya and Riley but Topanga had more than once thought that Katy was a little bit like Shawn’s stepmother.  
She wasn’t and she never had been. Topanga had finally gotten to know her over the last year or so and they had become friends of sorts.  
So, Topanga was better at understanding her. At this moment especially because she knew the situation. She knew the feeling.  
And Katy had known of Cory’s and Shawn’s love for each other since she had met Shawn – she had made jokes about it just like Topanga had.  
But as it seemed, she hadn’t really realized what that meant. She hadn’t realized what kind of love it was.  
If she now had and couldn’t live with it... Topanga didn’t know what she could possibly do about it.  
“He loves you,” she carefully said and now, Katy looked up again.  
Her smile was filled with hurt. “He loves him more.”  
Topanga didn’t know if it was true. She was close to Shawn and he obviously did love Katy but she didn’t know how much.  
Katy was the one who was in a relationship with him. If she said Shawn loved Cory more than her, it was probably true.  
“I am sorry,” she just answered, lost for words.  
Katy shook her head. “You don’t have to be. So... Have we finished up? I should go home.”  
Topanga didn’t hold her back. She was sure Katy was hiding tears when she quickly left the bakery.

“Katy broke up with Shawn.”  
Cory sounded concerend as he came over from the couch to the kitchen table where Topanga still worked. He had his mobile phone in his hand. Shawn probably had just sent him a message.  
Topanga sighed and layed down her pen. “I expected it to happen sooner or later.”  
“What? Why?” Cory seemed appalled, while he sat down next to her.  
“Katy talked to me a few days ago,” she admitted.  
Cory looked at her as if she had done something wrong. “She told you that she would break up with him? And you didn’t convince her of what a great guy he is? You didn’t even tell me about it?”  
“She didn’t talk to me about breaking up with him,” Topanga answered. She wasn’t offended because of Cory’s sudden anger. After all, he loved Shawn and wanted him to be happy. She understood. “But she did mention you and how much Shawn loves you. She thinks that he doesn’t love her as much.”  
“That’s nonsense,” Cory said but Topanga didn’t let him say more: “I don’t think it is. Cory. Not everyone can love two people the same. I couldn’t. And possibly, Shawn can’t as well. You will always be his number one.”  
She took both his hands in her own and he pulled them up and kissed them shortly, before just holding them.  
He didn’t say anything and just looked down at their intertwined hands.  
She didn’t know if this was the first time that he ever thought about Shawn only really being able to love him.  
She thought again of her talk with the other man, the other love of her husband. How he had said that everything was good the way it was. Yet, he was alone again. Of course, he still had Cory as his best friend, Topanga as his other best friend. He had Cory’s parents and siblings and Riley and Auggie. But... Tonight, he probably would be alone in a hotel room as he didn’t have an apartment in the city and always took a hotel or stayed at Cory and Topanga’s – or lately had most of the times stayed at Katy’s, practically living there for weeks on end.  
Of course she could very well tell Cory to message him that he should come over, that he should sleep on their couch. But maybe Shawn wanted to be alone – and maybe he needed to be alone with Cory.  
She didn’t know how much he had meant it when he had said that everything should stay like it was. But Topanga did know that they loved each other and now that Shawn was single again, there was again no reason for them to not be together – except for some conservative idea Shawn had of Topanga and Cory’s family.  
“Go over there,” she finally said and gently squeezed her husband’s hand.  
Shawn had said that he could never say no to Cory but that had been back then when they were used to sleeping together and Shawn was about to break the pattern again. She was sure it was different now. If Shawn truly didn’t want to, they wouldn’t do it. If Cory would have even the slightest doubts, if he would realize that Shawn wasn’t feeling well, they wouldn’t do it. It was their decision. She wouldn’t push them. But she wanted Cory to go to Shawn and them to at least finally talk about it.  
“Are you sure?” he asked.  
They looked in each other’s eyes and Topanga smiled. “Of course, I am.”  
They shared the sweetest kiss, before Cory left their apartment.

He knew who was in front of his door when he heard the knock. Probably, he had expected Cory to come when he had sent him the message. He hadn’t told him to come or anything. But he didn’t feel like being alone and he was glad that Cory was here.  
He opened the door and directly stepped aside to let Cory in. Of course, it was him and he came in, without saying a word.  
Shawn had time enough to close the door behind him, but then, suddenly, Cory was as close as possible and kissed him deeply.  
A minute or so went by with them just kissing and Shawn couldn’t believe how good it felt, as if he hadn’t kissed in years though he had had his fair share of relationships, the last one just having been ended by Katy mere hours ago.  
“I am so sorry,” Cory said as they broke apart and Shawn knew that that wasn’t about the kiss. It was about Katy and the break-up.  
“I know you are, Cor,” Shawn answered with a small smile he wouldn’t have felt like minutes ago but which came so easy now. And he knew that those had been exactly his words, shortly before they had first slept with each other. Cory had told him that he was sorry, just as he had now, and Shawn had had exactly used those words.  
His smile grew bigger as he went by Cory, further into the room. “We can’t always do that because I get left.”  
It was a joke which Shawn also wouldn’t have felt like making minutes ago, having just been left again.  
Cory had to know that Shawn said it lightly, yet he answered earnestly: “It isn’t because you got left.”  
Of course it wasn’t. Shawn looked to him and Cory looked back the way only he was able to. The way that had always promised Shawn that he would be there for him, that he would love him through anything. Possibly, it had been exactly that look that had made Shawn fall in love with him – it was that look that had made Shawn want Cory to be as happy as he could be, because that look alone made Shawn as happy as he possibly didn’t deserve to be.  
Cory’s happiness. Yes. That’s what this was supposed to be about.  
“Topanga and I talked a few weeks back.”  
Cory seemed surprised. Shawn had guessed right that Topanga hadn’t talked to Cory about it.  
“You did?”  
Shawn nodded and sat down on one of the chairs in the hotel room, for which he paid way too much money but for the first time in a long time he hadn’t wanted to be with Cory and his perfect family. How ridiculous that thought now seemed, though he was happy to be alone with Cory after all which he wouldn’t have been there.  
“She thought I went away because of you and her becoming a true family with Riley,” he told Cory who sat on the only other chair.  
“Really?”  
Shawn smiled automatically. He had known that Cory knew the real reason. He had been really surprised when Topanga had told him what she had thought.  
“Yeah,” he answered. “I told her the real reason. You know... About Riley having a good family and me not wanting to disrupt that. And she doesn’t see it that way.”  
Cory looked at him thoughtfully. “You know... She sent me over again.”  
Shawn had thought about it after his talk with Topanga. He had thought about her words. He had told himself that he was in the right. What did Topanga know of broken homes? Yes, she kind of had one, too, but for the first few years, for many years, her family had been good as well. He never had any of that. He knew better, didn’t he?  
And in the end, it hadn’t mattered. Because he finally had been in love again, with someone else than Cory. He had been truly in love. And he had had even the chance to give another kid the chance to grow up at least a little bit normal. He hadn’t wanted to destroy that as much as he still hadn’t wanted to destroy Cory and Topanga’s family.  
But Katy had now left him.  
“Am I wrong?”  
Cory shrugged, helplessly. “I don’t know. I understood back then. I mean... I want my children to grow up as good as they possibly can.”  
“I do, too,” Shawn quickly assured him. “They deserve a perfect family.”  
“No family is perfect, Shawn,” Cory told him in that tone as if he couldn’t believe Shawn thought those exsisted. In that tone that he sometimes used when he realized that Shawn put himself in a dark place and he was the only one able to pull him out.  
After a while, Cory added: “Well, and Topanga was always the smartest between the three of us.”  
“Not only between the three of us. She knows everything.” Shawn used the same tone that he so often had heard Auggie using whenever he (rightfully) claimed that his mother knew everything.  
Both men had to grin and yes, Topanga had always been the smartest. If she said they could do this without destroying anything... Then they could, right?  
Shawn saw in Cory’s eyes that the same thought crossed his mind and in the next moment they both stood up and leaned in to kiss each other at the same time, pulled each other over to the bed. After years, it was again so easy to go back to the way things had been and it just felt so right.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here it is, the last chapter of this little fic. Thank you everyone for reading and for giving kudos! :)

A few days later, Shawn knocked on the door to Maya’s room.  
“Come in,” Maya called out but when it was him who came in, she obviously was surprised.  
He closed the door, while she sat up on her bed where she had been lying before. “Maya. Can we talk?”  
Maya looked at him with a blank expression. “You are leaving.”  
He himself had used that kind of expression too often in his life to not see how much hurt there was behind it. He never wanted to hurt anyone in that way.  
So, he quickly and firmly said: “I am not. Not if you don’t want me to.”  
She didn’t say anything and he felt like explaining: “I know that your mother already told you about us breaking up.”  
She cut him off before he was able to say anything else: “About her breaking it up with you.”  
“No, no, no, Maya!” he said and took a step forward. “Don’t go down that route. It was my fault. Your mother didn’t do anything wrong.”  
Katy had instead been incredible. He did love her. Just not as much as...

“You love Cory,” she had said matter-of-factly after she had sat him down.  
He hadn’t understood. “Of course, I love him. He is my best friend.”  
She had smiled in an aching way. “No. You are in love with him.”  
And he had known that for years and years but to hear it come out of her mouth, to know that she knew...  
She had told him that she couldn’t play second fiddle anymore. That she had convinced herself that she could before because he always would have to take a back seat in her life as well but... that was for her daughter and not her best friend. And the love for her daughter was so, so different to her love for him while his for his best friend was just stronger than his love to her.  
He nearly had stopped breathing. He had felt cornered and terrible. But Katy had been strong. She hadn’t yelled at him although he had known that she had every reason to. Instead, she had told him that she still would like him to be in her daughter’s life. Because Maya loved him.  
He knew that it would be hard for Katy because she did love him, to still have him around but not being in a relationship with him. But she was a good mother.  
And he felt bad and actually, it had been hard for him, too, to see her just now, when she had let him into the house. He loved her as well and the break-up hurt him as much as having hurt her. But the hurt over the break-up had somewhat been soothed and he knew he would be over it faster than he should be – but he had Cory back in his life, all of Cory.  
He probably wouldn’t soon be over hurting Katy so bad but they had to manage. Because of this great girl that sat on the bed in front of him now.

“And yet, you are leaving,” she said, now softly.  
“I am not,” he said firmly again and explained: “Your mother and I talked and we agreed that you and I should still be able to see each other. Our relationship isn’t dependent on that of your mother and me.”  
Maya looked finally down at her hands, looking incredibly broken, and quietly said: “I know it’s not her fault. She loves you like crazy. I haven’t seen her as happy as with you in a long time.”  
He swallowed hard. “I’m really sorry that I hurt her. She is a really good and strong woman.”  
Maya looked at him again and it took another while before she asked: “What did you do? Did you cheat on her?”  
“I didn’t,” he said in an instant but she just kept looking at him, searching. Finally, he admitted: “But I am in love with someone else and your mother deserves better than being with someone who doesn’t love her more than anyone else.”  
It hurt him, talking about it. After all, he did love Katy in a way and he definitely felt more than guilty for not loving her enough.  
“Is it Angela again?” Maya asked and Shawn didn’t need even a second: “No.”  
She watched him closely and obviously decided that it was true and there was not point in asking who else it could be. Her eyes shifted to a framed photograph on her nightstand. Next to a photo with her and her mom and then her and Riley, there was a picture of their first trip together. That trip they had had together, shortly after Christmas, with the whole Matthews family. Auggie was in Joshua’s arms, Topanga held both the girls close. Cory had an arm around Josh and another around Shawn who also had one of his hand on Maya’s shoulder. All of them were smiling brightly.  
He swallowed and hated that he destroyed a fantasy of hers. Yes, she still was able to have this. To have him and the Matthews. But he knew that she had dreamed of more, possibly ever since that trip. That she had dreamed of him being really her father in marrying her mother. Of her having a whole family again.  
And suddenly, she looked back to him, totally surprised.  
She made a soft “Oh”, and for a second he wanted to ask what the problem was but he knew. He knew that she realized whom he was in love with.  
He looked back to the picture where he stood, Cory’s arm around him, so at ease like he always was in his presence.  
He looked to Maya again and slowly said: “I am really sorry, Maya. But... I still would like to see you, whenever I’m in town. Together with Riley but alone as well. If you allow me to.”  
She considered him for another while, but finally, she nodded, stood up, went up to him and hugged him.  
And it was unbelievable.  
He always had told himself that he didn’t like to spend time with Riley because he never wanted her to find out about Cory and him. But he had realized that there was another reason as well when she had told him at Christmas. Because she had been right. He had felt bad about not having a family like Cory and Topanga had.  
It wasn’t about Cory and Topanga’s relationship like Topanga apparently had always thought. But it was about having a child, having someone to care for, seeing them grow up, experiencing life itself. Riley had always reminded him that he hadn’t had that and possibly never would.  
By now, he had realized that of course he could have had it. You didn’t need to be a biological father to feel at least somewhat like a father and to experience everything amazing about it. He could have been there for Riley all the time and could have seen her growing up to be the amazing person she was by now.  
And he finally was so close to her that it felt nearly like having a daughter. But he didn’t only feel that for her. He also felt that for Maya. Possibly even more so for her because Maya obviously needed him so much more than Riley did.  
And there was a whisper inside the hug: “I love you.”  
It hurt in a very beautiful way and he answered smiling: “I love you, too, kid.”  
He couldn’t believe how he had arrived here, that he finally had everything. That suddenly, everything was good.

 

Riley was sixteen when she asked Topanga: “Mum? Can we talk?”  
Topanga was cleaning up the apartment a little bit.  
Auggie and Cory weren’t home. Auggie had had the idea to pick up Shawn at the airport. He had been away for a few weeks again, had actually been in different contries in Asia.  
Of course, Auggie wanted to see him again but Shawn would have come over directly after arrival anyway. The main reason, Auggie had wanted to go was because he loved airplanes at the moments.  
Cory decided to go with him although normally Shawn came to their place himself. Actually, he had his own little place just outside the city again. For years, he had had a small apartment in Philadelphia. He hadn’t been there often. It mostly had been to keep the few stuff he had hadsomewhere and... to have some kind of home somewhere.  
Topanga was glad, that he finally pretty much moved back in the city, close to them. He wasn’t home all the time, but he was there a lot and much more than he had been in Philadelphia.  
Today, Shawn would come over right from the airport, after Cory and Auggie would pick him up, and he would probably stay the night on the couch. After all, they wanted to hear everything about his trip and that would probably take all night.  
Topanga put just Auggie’s last toys away what he had been supposed to do before they left but anyway... And it was not like the apartment needed to be clean for Shawn but from time to time of course you needed to clean up.  
“Sure, honey. What is it?” she asked while she put a book on the table; she didn’t know how it had gotten on the floor.  
“Do Maya and I still remind you of Uncle Shawn and Dad?”  
Topanga wasn’t sure where the question was coming from but she answered with a smile: “Yes, absolutely.”  
They always had reminded her and Cory of Cory and Shawn.  
“So,” Riley slowly said. “You think... our friendship is exactly like theirs?”  
Topanga stopped in her tracks. She really didn’t know where this question was coming from and normally she did know where her kids where going with anything. Even now, when Riley was sixteen, she ususally just knew.  
“No, of course not,” she said. “Every friendship is different. Just like every person is different. You remind me a lot of your dad but that doesn’t mean you are interchangeable in the slightest. Just like Maya and your uncle Shawn aren’t.”  
She saw the unsure look in Riley’s face and went to the window still in the living room where she sat down. Riley understood the mute prompt and sat down next to her.  
“What is this about, hon?”  
“I am just thinking,” Riley answered, still slowly and still looking unsure. “Like... I know how Dad talks about Uncle Shawn. I talk about Maya the exact same way whenever we can’t see each other for a day. And I see how... he... looks at him and...”  
She wasn’t looking at her mother anymore and Topanga knew. She finally knew what this was about. And she wasn’t surprised.  
She had wondered already. She had suspected.  
Now, she smiled. “Do you want to tell me something? About you and Maya?”  
It took Riley another second but then it came quickly over her lips: “I think I’m in love with her, Mom.”  
A big grin spread across Topanga’s face. “That’s great!”  
She was about to hug Riley because she was happy for her daughter to know and to come out to her so easily.  
But Riley seemed worried and again, didn’t look at her. “But... I mean... I know that Dad loves you.”  
Topanga almost couldn’t believe it. This had to be a big moment in Riley’s life. Topanga didn’t know if she was the first person to know about Riley’s feelings, to definitely know, but she was almost certain she was. She was certain that she was the first person Riley ever talked to about this.  
But Riley didn’t feel like this was about her. She was just worried about what she, Topanga, would think. And Topanga knew that she wasn’t worried about what she would think of her being gay. That she instead was worried about Topanga suddenly believing her husband was in love with his best friend when their friendships were so alike.  
“He does,” she firmly said. “But you aren’t your Dad, Riley.”  
She wanted to continue, to explain, but Riley quickly said: “I know. I think I was just afraid that you would somehow... because you always say we are so alike.”  
Topanga reached for her daughter’s hand which made her look up again.  
“You don’t ever have to be afraid to tell me anything. And you and your dad are different. But I guess you do have the same thing for your best friends as well.”  
Riley was obviously surprised. Topanga smiled softly at her and squeezed her hand.  
“You see the way your dad looks at Uncle Shawn. Yes, he does love him. That doesn’t mean he loves me any less.”  
There was understanding dawning on Riley’s face. “He loves both of you?”  
“He does.”  
“And you are... okay with that?”  
“I am,” Topanga said and squeezed her hand again, before she decided: “But enough about us. What about you and Maya?”  
Riley seemed absolutely relieved and accepted the shifting of the theme to her and Maya.  
In a giddy way, he answered: “I don’t know. I haven’t told her. I don’t want anything to change.”  
Topanga could understand that, but: “Maybe it will change for the better if you tell her.”  
“But it could change for the worse,” Riley answered.  
“Could it?” Topanga reasoned. “You are best friends, right? That will never change, even if she doesn’t feel the exact same way about you.”  
Riley considered that for a while, before she admitted: “I guess, you are right. I still don’t think I will tell her any time soon.”  
Topanga smiled. “Well... Tell her when you are ready. But don’t miss you chance, honey.”  
“I won’t. Thank you, Mum.”  
They hugged and Topanga felt incredibly warm and happy.  
They just broke apart again when the front door opened.  
“Guess who it is?” Cory’s voice sounded immensely happy and there he came in, with Auggie and Shawn following.  
“Uncle Shawn,” Riley said smiling and stood up and went over to hug him.  
“Hey. Good to see you,” Shawn said while he wrapped his arms around her.  
Cory and Topanga shared a short kiss before Topanga hugged Shawn as well.  
When all the greetings were exchanged they sat down on the couch. Topanga and Shawn sitting again to both sides of Cory, while Riley and Auggie sat to Shawn’s other side and Shawn told several stories but also didn’t miss out to ask them what they had done over the time he had been away.  
As Topanga had known, Riley wasn’t weirded out by the arrangement her parents had made, although she had to understand how exactly it worked. Possibly, because deep down she had always known that Cory loved Topanga and Shawn. Just like Topanga, Shawn and Cory had somehow always known.  
And Cory had been happy as well in the years, Shawn had been away. He had enjoyed his life. Shawn still had been in it somehow after all. But Topanga knew that he felt much better having Shawn around so much more – and having sex with him was just the cherry on top of his life.  
She accepted it. She actually loved seeing him this all-around satisfied and happy. It was so much easier to share him than she had imagined as a teenager. Because it wasn’t with some random person. It was with Shawn. His best friend. And her best friend. His other love.


End file.
